It has previously been proposed to make electrical components which have a thin-walled substrate of ceramic material or the like, and on which an electrically conductive layer is adhered to one side by forming a metallic connection with a wire to the electrode, and additionally providing the substrate, the layer-electrode and the wire with a bonding mass or cement, to secure the assembly together and form a unitary combination. A process and a structure in accordance with this method is disclosed in the referenced U.S. Pat. No. 3,616,413. It has been found that if the metallic layer or electrode is extremely thin, and the carrier, itself, is very thin, making the electrical connection is costly and difficult, particularly under mass production conditions. It has also been found that electrical connections made this way, when subjected to vibration, shock or the like, which may be encountered if components with such connections are installed in automotive vehicles, may lead to failures. When exposed to exhaust gases from an internal combustion engine--in other words, when exposed to high temperatures--and shock or vibration, the lifetime of combinations, assemblies or connections made in accordance with the known process is subject to improvement.
It has previously been proposed to utilize rivet connections or the like to interconnect layers, for example forming electrodes or electrically conductive tracks on carriers. Rivet connections, it has been found, are not suitable for brittle substrates which are subjected to shock or vibrations; they are difficult to manufacture under mass production conditions, particularly with brittle ceramic substrates which tend to crack upon riveting or eye-letting. The reject rate, under mass production conditions, is high.
It has also been proposed--see the referenced German Patent Disclosure Document DE-OS No. 25 26 340--to use solder or spring clamp connections. Such spring clamp connections are suitable for laboratory or casual or test measurements; for combination as permanent connections in automotive environments, they are not suitable and, further, too costly.